001. Arrived in Cusco, Peru during the week of the Inti Raymi (Festival of the Sun)
002. Cusco Central Plaza Parade
003. Cusco Parade Participants
004. Inti Raymi Festival Goers
005. Over 100,000 attendees at Festival
006. Theatrics of the Festival
007. Woman adorned with snake, preparing for the Snake Dance
008. Traditional snake Dance (I couldn't because I did not have a snake)
009. Festival attendees
010. At Saccsayhuaman, Incas carved 120+ ton building stones from boulders. No mortar was used.
011. Coca tea is very popular.
012. Incas made windows and doors trapezoidal to withstand earthquakes.
013. Our guide, Freddy, stands in front of one 128-ton building stone.
014. At Saccsayhuaman, this is where the Incas prepared their dead for burial.
015. Llamas are plentiful in Peru.
016. At Chinchero, corn kernels are huge (typical corn)
017. We white-water rafted down the Urubamba River
018. Scenery from the Urubamba was beautiful
019. (in Yucay) schools traditionally have their number etched into a mountain, visible to aircraft.
020. A common home is made from mud (adobe) bricks.
021. In Chinchero, a woman uses many colors of spun llama wool for weaving.
022. In Chinchero, this loom makes a woven rectangle about 16 inches wide.
023. In Chinchero, yucca root is used to clean the unspun llama wool
024. Crushing dead bugs (cochineal) makes brilliant dye.
025. Salt added to cochineal dye makes it even more brilliant.
026. In Chinchero, we ate potatoes baked in a dirt and rock mound (oven)
027. In Chinchero, Peruvian woman serves roasted guinnea pig, a common source of protein.
028. In Chinchero, Brian eats guinnea pig.
029. In Yucay, a market consists of thatched-rooves.
030. In Yucay, cows barracade the street.
031. In Yucay, a poor Peruvian child
032. Narrow streets of Yucay
033. In Yucay, guinnea pigs live in residential one-room, dirt-floor home (for food).
034. In Yucay, woman grinding corn for meal preparation. Most non-city homes have such a stone slab.
035. In Yucay, men make a living creating adobe mud bricks for building.
037. In Yucay, ruins on a mountain.
038. In Yucay, touring more ruins.
039. Our guide, Freddy, explains the ruins of Yucay.
040. Our trail began in Yucay.
041. Also accompanying us 13 hikers were 30 porters, one guide, and 2 assistant guides!
042. Tequila plant is used to make booze.
043. Night falls on Inca Trail
044. Inca Trail residents do not own TV's, cars, nor do they have electricity.
045. Inca Trail child resident
046. Mud adobe house
047. 2nd day on the Inca Trail (Brian).
048. Donkeys and burrows are used on the Inca Trail for transportation.
049. A resting place on the Inca Trail.
050. Typical wooden stick bridge on the Inca Trail.
051. 80% of the Inca Trail is the original, built in the 1400's from large stones.
052. Nightfall at camp on 2nd night, tired hikers..
053. Dawn comes on the Inca Trail.
054. Starting on our 3rd day of hiking.
055. We arrived at the saddle point at Dead Woman's Pass
056. Observing the trail ahead (UP).
057. A beautiful place to stop and rest along the Inca Trail.
058. Inca ruins lie below in the valley.
059. Our tent was in a beautiful spot!
060. View from our tent.
061. Anne's new baby-alpaca swater came in handy when it was 25 degrees at camp!
062. Another view from our tent.
063. Mars could easily be seen after sundown from our camp.
064. Up early to watch the sunrise over the mountains.
065. Finally arrived at Machu Picchu, a city with 236 homes, built in the 1400's by the Incas.
066. Our group at Machu Picchu.
067. Someone actually farms this land high up on a mountainside!
068. Brian (and asst. guide, Alberto) on top of another mountain.
069. The Inca Trail contains over 10,000 stone steps.
070. A tired porter carries a huge propane tank (full) among other things.
071. Another trapezoidal stone doorway.
072. Winding bus road!
073. Brian and Anne at Machu Picchu.
074. Panorama of Machu Picchu.
075. Closeup of Machu Picchu.
076. Llamas came barrelling up the trail, leaving us no room.
077. Llamas chewing grass.
078. The sacred temple at Machu Picchu.
079. Baths at Machu Picchu. Incas built aquaducts for running water.
080. Hallway between houses at Machu Picchu.
081. Typical residential stonework by the Incas at Machu Picchu.
082. Morning sun rises over a thatched roof.
083. Inside Machu Picchu, a doorway.
084. Inside Machu Picchu, a street.
085. Machu_Picchu crypt, where dead are kept.
086. A giant sun dial tracks the seasons at Machu Picchu.
087. Trapezoidal windows look out to the mountains.
088. The inner courtyeard at Machu Picchu.
089. More of the courtyard at Machu Picchu.
090. In Aguas Calliente (hot springs), restaurant menu boasts guinnea pig and alpaca.
091. Our hotel courtyard in Aguas Calliente.
092. In Aguas Calliente, outside cafe uses sheepskin on benches.
093. In Aguas Calliente, children on street.
094. Most restaurants in the city have live music entertainment daily.
095. Leaving Aguas Calliente on the train back to Cusco.
096. Train entertainment: man dances wildly up and down the aisle.
097. On the train, a woman models clothing up and down the aisle.
098. Anne, Brian, and Delsi (asst. guide) at the farewell dinner.
099. Farewell_dinner_entertainment
100. In Lima, a new pyramid is unearthed in the 1980's.
101. In Lima, a giant statue on the Pacific coast
102. In Lima, 2 ladies
103. In Lima, last dinner with the remaining hikers (others left earlier).
104. In Lima, colorful dancers
105. Waiting at Lima airport to go home.
|